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Hilcorp files PODs for 3 inlet gas fields
Ivan River, Lewis River, Pretty Creek all small west side fields; most work, including exploration/delineation, at Pretty Creek
Kristen Nelson Petroleum News
Hilcorp Alaska filed plans of development with the Alaska Department of Natural Resources' Division of Oil and Gas March 10 for three small Cook Inlet gas fields, all on the west side of the inlet: Ivan River, Lewis River and Pretty Creek. Collectively the three averaged some 3.5 million cubic feet per day in January, the latest month for which Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission production data is available, 1.87% of inlet gas production for the month.
The plans cover June 1 through May 31, 2026.
Pretty Creek Hilcorp plans the most activity at Pretty Creek, currently producing the least gas of the three fields, 86 thousand cubic feet, mcf, per day in January, 0.05% of inlet production in that month. In January, the field produced from one well, Pretty Creek unit 02A, which was online for just 3 days. That sidetrack did better in November and December, online for 12 days in November and 24 days in December, producing a total of 16,188 mcf for 2024, compared to the original well, Pretty Creek unit 02, which was online for just two days in March of 2024, producing a total of 78 mcf, and is now plugged and abandoned.
In its previous, 2024 POD, Hilcorp said it planned to continue to attempt production from the Pretty Creek 02, targeting Sterling, Beluga and Tyonek sands, and evaluate the possibility of drilling as many as two development wells targeting Sterling, Beluga and Tyonek sands.
The company said it evaluated and drilled one development well, PCU-02A, targeting Beluga and Sterling sands, bringing the well online in November.
It also completed a rig workover at PCU-02, doing preparation for the sidetrack, PCU-02A, which found gas.
Also during the 2024 POD, Hilcorp said it expanded the Pretty Creek pad in preparation for 2025 drilling activity.
2025 Pretty Creek plans Hilcorp said it plans to drill as many as three wells at Pretty Creek in the 2025 POD, one development well targeting Sterling and Beluga sands from the existing pad.
Two wells, "exploration/delineation wells are planned to be drilled north of the existing Pretty Creek Pad to test for sand presence and hydrocarbon charge," the company said. The primary objective will be Sterling and Beluga sands with Tyonek sands a possible secondary objective.
Hilcorp said bottomhole locations "will potentially be outside of the existing unit boundary."
A 1,000-foot road and pipeline will be built north of the existing Pretty Creek pad to support 2025 drilling activity, and pending drilling results, "Hilcorp plans to install flowlines, line heaters, separators, production headers, glycol dehydration, produced water tanks, microturbine generators, and compressor on the existing Pretty Creek Pad and future new pad."
On March 11 the division approved infrastructure additions at Pretty Creek, including installation of two enclosed separator packages and two line heater packages; two 4-inch subsurface flowlines to tie new wells into existing production; one compressor package and one new water well; electrical instrumentation; and heat trace and instrumentation cables in cable trays as necessary.
Pretty Creek gas storage lease Hilcorp has also filed a 2025 POD for its Pretty Creek gas storage lease ADL 390776, which has a maximum storage capacity estimated at 2,100 million cubic feet, with an estimated working capacity of 1,900 million cubic feet, and current estimated gas in place of 1,544 million cubic feet, an estimated 1,344 million cubic feet of working gas in storage.
Hilcorp said it has no plans to expand or contract the gas storage lease and will continue to use it for gas storge operations, with no facility upgrades planned.
Ivan River Hilcorp may also drill at Ivan River, but apparently not until its 2026 POD.
In January Ivan River averaged 1,144 mcf per day of gas, 0.61% of inlet production for the month.
Work planned for the 2025 POD period includes continued "evaluation of existing completions for rig workover and subsurface opportunities" and continued evaluation of drilling opportunities in the Sterling-Beluga and Tyonek participating areas, with the possibility of an additional grassroots well, but that "would likely spud during the 2026 POD period," the company said, noting that pad/facility work may be needed in the 2025 period to support that drilling.
Facilities work planned for 2025 includes installing piping and infrastructure for the produced water building and well tie-in and pad expansion work "contingent on 2026 drill well planning an regulatory approval timing."
The company said that during the 2024 POD period it did a rig workover at the IRU 44-36 well, successfully adding gas with a coil cleanout, plug and perforate in January 2025 and a coil cleanout, plug and perforate at the IRU 11-06 in October, also resulting in added gas. There are additional well work jobs planned during the 2024 POD period, including cleanout, plug and perforate IRU 11-06. Additional perforations in IRU 241-01 "will be progressed continent on IRU 11-06 results," Hilcorp said.
During 2024 the company installed coalescer for the compressor and did routine repairs and maintenance, but did not complete any tie-in or pad expansion work in preparation for 2025 drilling with surface work pushed back because of the long permitting time required for pad expansion.
The company said permits have been submitted for pad expansion and pending approval work will be done this summer.
Lewis River At Lewis River, where production averaged 2,273 mcf per day in January, 1.21% of inlet production for the month, Hilcorp does not plan any 2025 POD period drilling, but said it would continue to evaluate delineation drilling opportunities in the Sterling-Beluga and Tyonek participating areas. The company does anticipate doing well work and workovers including coil cleanout operations and adding or isolating Sterling or Beluga sand perforations.
Facility projects include moving and installing additional compression and installing a coalescer for the existing compressor.
No well work or workovers were performed in the 2024 POD period, although two perf add jobs were completed in May 2024 after the 2024 POD was submitted: both were successful in adding gas.
The company expected to install a coalescer for the Lewis River compressor during the 2024 POD, but said that was now expected to occur in 2025.
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